Alaskan Wildfire Burns Out Of Control

Fanned by gusting winds, a fast-moving wildfire flared out of control Tuesday, destroying as many as 100 homes and scorching 7,000 acres in south-central Alaska.

More than 300 firefighters, backed by helicopters and flying tankers, worked to halt the fire’s spread. Hundreds of residents gathered at an emergency shelter.

The blaze sent heavy smoke billowing across downtown Anchorage, obscuring the snow-capped Chugach Mountains on the city’s eastern flank.

The Miller’s Reach fire - fueled by black spruce, birch and mossy undergrowth - spread southward from Houston after breaking out Sunday.

Public safety officials also evacuated hundreds of homes in the Big Lake area.